Thermostatic alarm for hot bearings



Feb. 23, 1943. w. KAGAN 2,312,099,

THERMOSTATIC ALARM FOR HOT BEARINGS Filed April 23, 1941 y 1)) 0 V r2] if I 9 9 l6 La l4 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1943 THERMOSTATIO ALARM FOB HOT EARIN William KIM St. Louis, Mo. Application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,842 2 Claims. (Cl. 177-311) This invention relates to automatic or thermostatic alarms for hot motor bearings or rotating shaft bearings 01' any kind.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be readily mounted upon a Journal box or bearing, at the outer end or mouth of the clean-out duct thereof, the said device including a thermostat adapted to be actuated by heat given on from the oil in said oil duct and whereby an electric circuit is closed through a suitable alarm or signal.

Another object is to provide in combination with a journal box having a clean-out duct extended outwardly, a thermostat mounted at the outer mouth of the duct and adapted to be I actuated and controlled by the temperature of the oil in the duct, a transformer, a source of electrical energy, electrically operated signals, and connections and contacts for closing a circuit through the signals as the oil in the cleanout duct rises above a predetermined point.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may appear in the course of this specification, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrical motor, showing my thermostatic alarm devices installed at each end thereof upon the journal boxes of the motor shaft.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale of a dial thermostat as adapted to the purposes of' the invention, a section of the dial being broken out to reveal the inner spiral actuating spring.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale through one of the journal units, including the box, the lower part of which is broken away.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a thermostat equipped with an adjustable electrical contact, a portion of the housing being broken away for revealing the interior arrangements.

The invention is here shown as mounted upon a conventional electric motor 5 having its shaft 6 extending endwise through journal boxes 1, the latter being formed with clean-out ducts 8 extending out horizontally from the lower sides of the boxes. Ordinarily the outer ends of these ducts are threaded as at 9, and are closed by screw caps (not shown). In accordance with my invention these caps are removed, and a conventional type of dial thermostat l0, Illa, having threaded openings in the backs thereof, are

thereby mounted upon the ends of the ducts 8.

The thermostats ll, Ina include the calibrated dials ll, pointers I! on spindles ll Journaled through the casings l4, and interiorly mounted spiral springs ll connected centrally to the spindles H, the springs being open to the action of the oil (not shown) flowing through the ducts l.

Insulated contact pins I! are seated in the faces of the thermostats ll, lfla. These pins may be adjustably mounted if desired, and thus adapted for seating at various angular distances around the dials ii. A transformer H is attached to the connection box of the motor. A pair of light bulb sockets II are mounted adiacent the motor and a pair of differently colored bulbs l9 and 20 are seated therein. A buzzer II is also mounted adjacent the motor.

The transformer, thermostat contact pins, buzzer and lights are all electrically connected in conventional manner by the wiring 22 with the thermostats it, Illa, which separately control the said lights. Oil is filled into the journal boxes l through the ducts la. The oil is fed up from the bottom of the boxes to the journals by the rotation or travel of the shaft rings 23 in conventionai manner. The oil flows into and fills the clean-out ducts 8, and thence into the thermostats it, Ida and into contact with the springs 55 which govern the movements of the pointers it on the spindles Hi, to which the springs are joined.

In, operation, the contact pins 15 are located upon the dials H in such normal angular relation to the pointers 62, that the motor may operate under normal working temperatures without turning the pointers l2 into contact with the pins it. But in case the motor or bearings become overheated then the excess heat is transmitted to the oil in the cleanout ducts 8 and is thence transmitted to the springs I5 oi the thermostats lfi, Ma. The springs tend to open or expand as heated, resulting in further rotation of the spindles i3 and pointers It, thus causing the latter to contact the pins l8 and close the circuit through the buzzer and the light signals.

I'hus the operator is notified by sound and sight.

of the overheating of the bearings. The particular bearings are indicated by the diiferent colored lights.

Strips 2d of metal having a higher degree of heat conductivity than oil, may be inserted through the ducts 8, for facilitating the transmission of heat to the thermostats and thus accelerating the operation of the warning signals.

The pointers i2 may be adjustably mounted on the spindles [3, if desired, in lieu of the adjustable mounting of the pins It, as means for regulating or controlling the operation of the thermostats and the connected signals.

Or as shown in Figure 5, a contact finger 20, 5

is cut'in the end of the spindle, into which ar 15 blade (not shown) may be inserted for turning the spindle and rigidly attached finger 28. By

this arrangement the finger 26 may be positioned 9 at any desired point on the dial IL. Then-as.

the hand or pointer t2 moves around the dial, it

contacts the nose 26a and closes the circuit. Thejgo contacthands, pointers and fingers referred to, amfif oourse made of.met'al so as to serve as conductors.

While I have here shown and described certain embodiments and structural features of the in-- vention, the same may be changed or modified within the scope of the claims.

I claim: v 1. In a device of the kind described, for mounting upon an oil receiving journal box having a horizontally extended clean-out duct into which lubricating oil may fiow by gravity from the box,

10 said clean-out duct having screw threads upon its outer end, athermost at threadedly received upon said outer end of the clean-out duct, said thermostat being operable through heated oil in the duct, and a signal controlled by the thermostat.

2. In a, device as defined inclaim l, a strip of material of higher heat conductivity than lubricating'oil, mounted in the said clean-out duct for facilitating the transfer of heat from the journal box to the thermostat.

KAGAN. 

